Ralph Green (footballer)

{{short description|Australian rules footballer and coach}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}

{{Use Australian English|date=October 2015}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Ralph Green

| image =

| fullname = Ralph Frederick Green

| birth_date = 8 June 1911

| birth_place = Adelaide, South Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|3|9|1911|6|8|df=yes}}

| death_place =

| originalteam = Colonel Light Gardens

| height = 183 cm

| weight = 84 kg

| position = Fullback

| statsend = 1948

| years1 = 1930–31, 1933, 1935–45

| club1 = Sturt

| games_goals1 = 157 (44)

| years2 = 1932

| club2 = Carlton

| games_goals2 = {{0|00}}5 {{0}}(2)

| years3 = 1934

| club3 = West Perth

| games_goals3 = {{0}}20 (17)

| coachyears1 = 1941, 1945, 1947–48

| coachclub1 = Sturt

| coachgames_wins1 = 72 (41–31–0)

| careerhighlights =

}}

Ralph Frederick Green (8 June 1911 – 9 March 1977) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He also had stints at Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and West Perth in the Western Australian National Football League.{{cite book|last1=Holmesby|first1=Russell|last2=Main|first2=Jim|title=The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers| publisher=BAS Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-1-920910-78-5}}

Green, who played as a forward in his early years with Sturt, was lured to Carlton in 1932 and as a result missed out on playing in Sturt's premiership team that season. His time at Carlton was plagued by injuries and he was only able to play five games.[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/R/Ralph_Green.html AFL Tables: Ralph Green] In 1933 he returned to Sturt and in the same year represented South Australia at the Sydney Carnival.{{AustralianFootball | ralph+green/5364 }}

The league went into recess for three seasons due to the war and Green served briefly with the Royal Australian Air Force in 1943.[http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=978864 WW2 Nominal Roll: Green, Ralph Frederick] He resumed his SANFL career in 1945, as Sturt's playing coach. The following year he did not play or coach at Sturt, with Bo Morton taking up the position of senior coach. In 1947, Green returned to the club after Morton resigned. No longer a player, Morton coached Sturt for two more seasons and guided them to finals in each of those years.